As an astronaut traverses the lunar South Pole, tribocharging from walking on the lunar surface and plasma charging from the ambient plasma generate electric charge on the spacesuit. This problem is severely compounded when entering lunar shadows and Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs). In these dark zones, the spacesuit can buildup a substantial negative potential due to a lack of ambient ion flux and the absence of photoelectron emission to balance ambient electron collection.

The risk occurs when an astronaut returns to the spacecraft. Because the lunar surface lacks a natural environmental mechanism to bleed the charge accumulated on spacesuit away, the astronaut may become a walking, high voltage capacitor.

In the sunlit region, the stationary lander will hold slightly positive electrical potential. When a highly negatively-charged astronaut approaches the vehicle, the extreme voltage differential can trigger electrostatic discharge (an instantaneous electrical arc, or a spark) during physical contact. A rapid discharge from the astronaut to the lander risks degrading vital suit layers, damaging sensitive suit electronics, threatening the oxygen-rich environment inside the suit, and delivering dangerous electrical shocks to the crew.

Through the Lunar Grounding Challenge, NASA is seeking innovative designs and operational solutions to bring a lunar equilibrium capability to safely discharge a suited astronaut from high triboelectric charge buildup during lunar surface EVAs in the South Pole. This challenge seeks innovative concepts for an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) mitigation solution to neutralize the astronaut in a safe and timely manner under this extreme charge differential before astronauts directly interact with the lander.

Award: Up to $150,000 in prizes

Challenge Open Date: October 5, 2026

Submissions Close Date: January 15, 2027

For more information, visit: https://work.crowdplat.com/challenge/lunar-grounding-challenge

The NASA ORBIT (Opportunities in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology for the Workforce) Challenge invites university and community college students nationwide to work with real NASA intellectual property and mission challenges.

Choose your path: develop commercial applications of NASA patents that solve problems here on Earth (ORBIT Earth), or design next-generation technologies for space exploration (ORBIT Space). The most ambitious teams can pursue both through the optional Integration Bonus.

Award: Up to $500,000 in prizes, receive mentorship from NASA experts, and present your work at an in-person showcase. Finalists gain access to an exclusive accelerator program designed to launch careers in STEM and entrepreneurship.

Challenge Open Date: September 14, 2026

Registration Close Date: November 16, 2026

For more information, visit: https://nasaorbit.org/